Press Kit: 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee

2014 Jeep® Grand Cherokee: A Technological Tour De Force

          A host of technologies for connectivity, convenience, safety and security
  • Introducing Uconnect Access Via Mobile – convenient, hands-free gateway to Internet radio listening
  • Advanced embedded cellular technology delivers breakthrough cloud-based voice texting, Bing connected search and on-demand Wi-Fi hot spot capability
  • Direct, one-touch connections with emergency service provides, roadside assistance dispatchers and vehicle information specialists
  • New premium navigation with 3D landmarks, one-shot voice command recognition and SiriusXM Travel Link
  • Signature LED exterior lighting improves visibility
  • New Uconnect 8.4-inch center-stack display and customer configurable multiview gauge with 7-inch Thin-Film Transistor (TFT) screen
  • Available seat-back Blu-ray DVD system (late availability) and high-performance Harman Kardon 825-watt audio system with 19-speakers
Auburn Hills, Mich. January 13, 2013 - An eight-speed transmission and EcoDiesel engine are not the only new technologies in the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee – 5-inch and 8.4-inch touchscreens, Forward Collision Warning with Crash Mitigation, adaptive head lamps (Summit only), the latest generation of Uconnect Access and a customizable dynamic gauge cluster heighten Grand Cherokee’s premium nature while also adding state-of-the-art safety features.

The 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee is the first Jeep product to receive Uconnect Access.

“The easy-to-learn, easy-to-use interface found on the new 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee has become a hallmark of the Uconnect brand,” said Marios Zenios, Vice President — Uconnect Systems and Services, Chrysler Group LLC. “Customers will see this manifested again in the advanced connectivity features available in the new Grand Cherokee – a safe vehicle made safer by our emphasis on hands-free functionality.”

Advanced safety features such as Forward Collision Warning (FCW) system with Crash Mitigation alerts the driver if they’re approaching a vehicle in front too quickly, and Adaptive Cruise Control will keep the Jeep Grand Cherokee at a driver-selected distance from the vehicle in front when cruise control is engaged.

Uconnect Access Via Mobile (for North American markets)

The 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee’s unique Uconnect Access system is based on powerful embedded cellular technology that leverages Chrysler Group’s strategic partnership with Sprint. The advanced service-delivery platform affords the kind of stability that enables direct communication when it’s needed most.

Some competitive systems use built-in cellular capability to connect with concierge call centers. Others alert emergency services personnel directly, but they do so through mobile phones, which are subject to unstable connections or, when collisions occur, breakage.

Uconnect Access connects vehicle occupants directly with police, fire department or ambulance service dispatcher with the push of the “9-1-1” button on the Grand Cherokee’s rear-view mirror.

Uconnect Access applies the same logic to roadside assistance. One push of the “ASSIST” button summons help directly from Chrysler Group’s roadside assistance provider, or the Vehicle Customer Care Center.

Further peace of mind comes from Theft Alarm Notification, which alerts owners via SMS text message or e-mail whenever their vehicles’ security alarms are activated. For the greatest convenience and flexibility, up to five people can be notified.

Additional Uconnect Access security features include the ability to remotely sound a vehicle’s horn and flash its lights – measures enabled by the Uconnect mobile app that could serve as potential crime deterrents or simply to locate a vehicle at night or in a crowded parking lot. For even more convenience, remote door-locking and unlocking and remote start can be performed with the Uconnect mobile app or via the Jeep owners website.

From the behind the wheel, Uconnect Access is an efficient tool that reduces driver distraction with various means of managing in-vehicle connectivity – the newest of which is Uconnect Access Via Mobile.

In the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee, customers can put away their smartphones, keep their hands on the steering wheel and still interact with their devices in the ways to which they are accustomed. Media apps from Pandora to iHeart Radio to Slacker are all available via voice command – a function of Uconnect’s powerful, cloud-based voice recognition capability.

Flexibility is such that, with Pandora, for example, drivers can register their “likes” and “dislikes” for music using steering-wheel controls, with the app’s graphics displayed on Uconnect’s distinctive 8.4-inch touchscreen.

Additional convenience is achieved when Uconnect sync’s a customer’s existing app so their favorite artists and stations will be readily available.

Handsfree (for North American markets)

Uconnect Access also allows the driver to execute many of the normal functions such as climate, audio and Bluetooth, all by voice. The cloud also enables voice texting, a breakthrough feature of Uconnect Access. Again leveraging the Sprint network, paired, Bluetooth-equipped cell phones that use the Message Access Protocol (MAP) can:
  • Receive a text message
  • Announce receipt of the text
  • Identify the sender
  • Read the message aloud
To respond, drivers can simply dictate. The cloud helps the system’s voice-recognition system assemble the response and “read” it back for accuracy before sending. Verbatim. No memorizing pre-approved messages such as, “I’m on my way.”

And it can all be done handsfree.

The same advanced voice-recognition protocol simplifies the often-problematic process of entering navigation-system destinations with both hands on the wheel. In the new 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee, the system will accept continuous, single-sentence instructions, such as: “Navigate to Arches National Park, Moab, Utah.”

On-road travel is made easier by new 3D maps with graphic representations of well-known landmarks and terrain features.

What if the drivers are unsure of the destination? They can pull over and use the Grand Cherokee as a Wi-Fi hot spot. Or keep driving and access the powerful Bing search engine via voice command. Uconnect navigation then calculates a route, but if the driver wants to provide a heads-up, the system stores the destination’s telephone number for handsfree calling.

Technology for even more safety and security

Jeep engineers also integrated advanced safety features in the new Grand Cherokee to help prevent crashes and protect occupants. A Forward Collision Warning system with Crash Mitigation alerts the driver with a flashing light atop the instrument panel and an audible tone when the vehicle senses that it is approaching too quickly to the vehicle in front. It is intended to alert the driver to react to the situation to prevent a possible crash. Crash Mitigation pressurizes the braking system in anticipation of a panic stop. This allows the driver to have full braking power as soon as they press the pedal to help prevent a collision. If the driver does not react to the Forward Collision Warning audible/visual alert the system also will provide a brake pulse followed by partial braking to help the driver avoid or mitigate a pending collision. The driver is still required to apply the brake to stop the vehicle.

Adaptive cruise control will keep the Jeep Grand Cherokee at a driver-selected distance from the vehicle in front when the cruise control is engaged. This allows a safe distance between vehicles with enough time for the driver to react should the vehicle in front slow rapidly. The adaptive cruise control system automatically adjusts the Grand Cherokee’s speed using the throttle and brakes to maintain the pre-subscribed distance.

Daytime running lights (DRL) are now standard on all models, and Grand Cherokee Summit models now come standard with adaptive bi-xenon high-intensity discharge (HID) headlamps that swivel in the direction of a turn. This allows drivers better nighttime visibility in turns.

One of the key exterior features of the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee is its signature front and rear light-emitting diode (LED) lighting. These unique lights allow Grand Cherokee to be instantly recognizable, night or day, from a great distance. Standard in Overland and Summit, and available on Limited, are bi-xenon headlamps (adaptive on Summit) that are outlined with LED running lamps. The LEDs start at the inner upper edge by the grille, and follow the outer edge of the light. A slight curve upward occurs along the bottom row of the LED lights as it nears the inner edge. This also allows for the hidden headlamp washers to be placed within the headlamp housing as opposed to a separate nozzle located on the bumper.

The signature headlamps also feature full LED turn indicators.

The LED lights in the rear tail lamps follow the same pattern as the headlamps. A red ring of LED lamps follow the outline of the stop lights and illuminates when the headlamps are on. The lower portion of the tail lamp assembly is outlined in chrome and houses the reverse lights.

Technology for convenience

Immediately noticeable upon entering the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee’s cabin are new touchscreens integrated into the center stack. Standard on Laredo and Limited models is a new 5-inch touchscreen that controls audio, climate, phone and other vehicle functions such as the heated seats or how long the headlamps stay on after the ignition has been turned off. The high-resolution screen is intuitive to use, yet Jeep designers still installed redundant controls for audio and climate below the touch screen.

Standard on Overland and Summit, and available on Laredo and Limited models, is an 8.4-inch touchscreen that controls navigation, audio, climate, phone, vehicle functions and the new Uconnect Access system. This system provides large, easy to read graphics with intuitive, easy to use controls.

The most looked at area of the interior, the instrument cluster, was also given a premium high-tech appearance with the new dynamic gauge cluster. Featuring a customer configurable multiview 7-inch Thin-Film Transistor (TFT) liquid-crystal display, the cluster can be configured one hundred different ways for the ultimate, driver-customized experience. Navigation, audio and fuel economy info, as well as Selec-Terrain modes and warning indicators can all be displayed in the 7-inch screen, keeping the driver’s eyes – and attention – closer to the road.

Enabled by LED technology more commonly found in consumer electronics, the display’s pixel illumination is more precisely controlled, which makes for “blacker” blacks and more vivid colors. Such advancement allows crisper graphics, which are critical to the kind of instant recognition drivers need to maintain proper focus on the task at hand: driving.

Front-seat occupants aren’t the only ones who benefit from high-tech displays. Second-row passengers can treat themselves to video entertainment via an available seatback Blu-ray video system (delayed availability). This new system will play standard DVDs as well as Blu-ray discs, and has inputs for high-definition media interface (HDMI) cables or RCAs for each screen integrated into the seat backs. Wireless headphones are included as is a wireless remote.

For the ultimate audio experience, Summit models feature a 19-speaker, 825-watt Harman Kardon audio system. Renowned as being a leader in the audio industry, this amazing Harman Kardon system features:
  • 9 tweeters
  • 5 mid-range speakers
  • 2 mid-woofers
  • 3 subwoofers
  • 12-channel Class D amplifier
Featuring GreenEdge speaker and amplifier technology, the system outperforms traditional amplifier efficiency by up to 55 percent.



Contact Information

Trevor Dorchies
Office: (248) 512-3189
Cell: (248) 760-7421
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